When the forest cries
by Edcora
Summary: <html><head></head>Sometimes the world is cruel, animals die, people die, everybody dies, but sometimes once in a blue moon when the forest cries and the wolf comes to call, everybody lives. Rated T for non-graphic violence and hinted adult themes.</html>


author's note:

I do not own any of the characters from 'Buffy the vampire slayer' i do however own 'the wolf' he is the fruit of my own head. Apologies for any grammar/spelling mistakes, parhaps you could point them out to me if you see any.

near the gate to sunnydale high, just inside the trees of Mercy wood, the red-brown wolf watched, his slim, muscular figure tense with anticipation as the small blonde girl came out, walking with a red haired girl whom he did not know. Though they were far away he could just make out what she was saying.

"sorry, Will, but Giles wants to do some training".

'Will' sighed, "OK, but you do want some company patrolling, right"?.

The wolf's ears pricked up.

"that would be great if you're sure"?

"of course i'm sure, i miss you sometimes".

The wolf would've smiled had he not been a wolf, he had finally found the slayer, and for once he knew one thing for certain; Will wouldn't be the only one coming along to the graveyard tonight.

So, with a respectful nod to the completely oblivious slayer and co, he slunk back into the trees.

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Willow was cold and she was meant to join Buffy on patrol so she went to get her coat before leaving the house, leaving her mom a note in case she was missed, then grabbing a stake. Buffy had arranged to meet outside Willow's house so she stood on the porch waiting it was cold so she hugged herself tightly at some point she started to doze off and her eyes lost focus and during this she felt rather then saw eyes on her, her head snapped up and she looked around out of the corner of her eye she saw a red-brown wolf jump into the trees, she stared in that direction until Buffy joined her.

"what are you looking at"? She asked her.

"sorry, i just saw a dog", Willow said.

Unbeknown to them had they looked inside at that very moment they would have seen a hummingbird sitting on Willow's table, reading her note and had they looked for longer they would have seen him turn to them to make sure they weren't and the red-brown blaze across his face.

They didn't of course, the two headed straight to the graveyard.

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At the graveyard, Buffy dusted two vampires before turning to Willow and coming to sit next to her, "how's Oz"? She asked.

"oh, we're great", said Willow, "lots of hand holding and ice cream".

"still no"? Buffy indicated kissing with a gesture only Willow could have understood.

Willow shook her head but smiled.

Then they both looked up as they heard Someone cry out and saw a red-brown wolf attacking a man.

Buffy rushed over just in time to get covered in dust as the vampire was pushed into a floating piece of sharply Pointed wood hovering in the air. She pulled up short as Willow came up behind her. The wood dropped to the floor with a clatter and the wolf looked at her and gave a respectful nod to first Buffy then Willow.

"this is the wolf i saw", said Willow, recognizing the colour.

"have you been following us"? Buffy asked him, not fully expecting him to understand her.

The wolf looked slightly sheepish but nodded. It was then that Buffy noticed that his eyes were green and glowing slightly and that he had a beautiful coat ,but looked for all the world as if he'd been maltreated, just the way that he stood maybe or the slightly bloodshot eyes, there was dried blood round his nose too, anyway she didn't know how she knew she just had a strong feeling.

There's a vampire behind you", the wolf said, both Buffy and Willow nearly fell over backwards, but Buffy turned around on instinct and staked a petite vampire who had just come up behind her.

When Buffy turned back the wolf was looking slightly smug,"you can speak"? She said, not sure if it was a question or a statement.

He took it as a question though and said,"yes, i can, sorry, i didn't mean to surprise you".

then Willow asked the question they were both wondering, "what are you"?

The wolf shrugged, "i don't really know, i think my father is a leslie, not sure about my mother, she must be something because i'm not a leslie i'm just very similar".

"leslie"? Said Buffy.

The wolf looked up, "lord of the forest, that's what my father calls himself".

Buffy nodded, wondering just how big-headed his father must be.

"you're Buffy, right?" he said.

"Yeah, and that's Willow".

"i'm Eden, not like the garden", he said,"sorry, i need to go home, my mothers going to kill me as it is, it was nice to meet you",He called over his shoulder as he ran off.

* * *

><p>"a talking wolf"? Said Giles, sitting in the library the next day.<p>

Buffy and Willow nodded.

"father was a leslie you say"? Giles asked and Buffy nodded "a leslie is a mythical creature from celtic folklore, said to be the lord of the forest, with the ability to shapeshift into all kinds of things including trees and flowers."

"i want to see him again", said Buffy decidedly, "i need to know if he's a threat".

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In a house in a forest in Switzerland a man with red boots and riding gloves paced in front of his girlfriend, "so where is he"? The man asked angrily to no one in particular.

She shook her head and he continued "how could he do that to us? Give us all that power then just take it away"?

"in fairness", she said trying to calm him, "he didn't exactly _give _us the power, we took it".

He turned to her, glaring.

"but we can make him give it back", she said matter-of-factly ,"i think i might know where he is".

They grinned wickedly at each other, she began to remove his jacket.

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-A month later-

Buffy was in her house having dinner with her Mum, she was thinking about school when her Mother spoke,"so, Buffy, how's the slaying going"?

"hmm, oh, uh, yeah, good", she said slightly surprised.

"i wanted to tell you Buffy-"

The doorbell rang.

"did you invite someone over"? Her mother asked.

Buffy shook her head and went to answer the door.

For a minute she was confused as to why a teenage boy (or anyone for that matter) would come a-knocking at half past six, that was before she noticed the red-brown hair and the softly glowing green eyes.

"Eden" She said softly, remembering what Giles had said, "but, how?"

"i need your help", he told her.

**author's note:**

**If you do want to read the next chapter of this story? Please, follow/favourite/review, because i don't think i'll bother if nobody does. **


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